Perseverance Pays Off for Doctoral Candidate

Demonica Dunifer doesn’t know the word “quit.” As a nurse, it certainly has never been in her vocabulary. Now, as she earns her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing, she is proof that perseverance pays off.

Dunifer, who lives in South Carolina, hadn’t thought about being a student again.

“I never thought about going back to school but my mentor completed her DNP a year or so ago and she said earning it would help me professionally,” she said. Her employer added they could help pay tuition.

She looked at three schools and, ultimately, UA was her choice.

“I chose UA because I had a colleague at the retail clinic I worked at,” she said. “She told me that she just had a great experience.”

Hustle Meets Hurdles

Dunifer enrolled in the two-year online degree program eager to start advancing her career. Halfway into the program, Dunifer encountered tragedy.

“My uncle, who was the father figure in my life, passed away in June 2024,” she said. “We were very close and had a strong father-daughter relationship.” Dunifer said her uncle’s health had started declining in late 2023. He had been placed in hospice care more than an hour from her home and she was making the drive to visit him often. Still, that loss took its toll on Dunifer.

She was enrolled in NUR 796 DNP Immersion but had to defer until the fall semester.

“I just couldn’t concentrate. He was always my biggest supporter,” she said. “I had to do independent study and I could hear his voice convincing me that it just didn’t make sense to quit now.”

Dunifer also found immense support from the Capstone College of Nursing.

“I talked with Dr. (Staci) Simmons and she was so, so supportive and compassionate,” Dunifer said of Simmons, coordinator of the DNP program and a clinical assistant professor. “She encouraged me to take some time but she was there if I needed her.”

One More Hurdle to Clear

Dunifer persisted with her studies online and in March 2025, she defended her doctoral thesis topic “Improving Anxiety and Depression Screening in Palliative Care.” All seemed well until this summer. “I remember it was June 23, a year to the day that my uncle passed,” she said. “I sat down at my computer around 9 a.m. that morning and I just didn’t feel right.”

Dunifer said she knew quickly something was wrong. “My mouth started to shift and seconds later, my whole left side was numb,” she said. “I called out for my husband the best I could and I started praying out loud.”

Within 15 minutes, Dunifer arrived at a nearby emergency room where they determined she had a stroke. She spent an entire week in the intensive care unit. Still, she persevered.

“I had projects due at this time, but something told me not to procrastinate,” she said. “And I’m glad I didn’t. I’m able to recover and keep going because of my faith and my family.”

Dunifer said she is recovering well and has been finalizing coursework in preparation to earn her DNP. She’s also excited to come back to Tuscaloosa with her family to walk the stage during commencement.

“I didn’t walk when I got my master’s in 2018, but I decided to walk this time because I have been through so much to get here,” Dunifer said. “God didn’t do all this just for me to chicken out.”